2000 skeeter with 150 Yamaha, cable steering. Motor is hard to steer in water and on trailer. Motor swings very easily with steering linkage dsconnected. Steering wheel is still hard to turn with motor disconnected. Greased every fitting I could find, no change. Couldn't find any kinks in cables between motor and wheel.

It's time for steering cables. Bite the bullet and "get er done"

Bite the bullet is right. Just had mine done not too long ago by Fun-N-Sun. $681.51. 1998 Skeeter w/ 115 Yamaha.

Now that you've ruined your cables, lessons learned...NEVER put grease on a steering cable. It will jam them up over time.

You can try to revive them by washing them down with a penetrating oil, and working the grease out, but that's a 50/50 shot.

Silicone, or light oil is proper, never grease.

Thanks for your replies, The tight steering already existed before I put grease into the zerc fittings in steering tubes.
I'v had the boat less than a year, the steering was fine one trip, the next it was a little stiff and the next real stiff.

This is first boat I've had without hydraulic steering so I'm not familiar with how the steering cables actually connect to the rods insde the tubes. Is the grease confined to just the tubes or does it grease the entire lenght of both cables? Is there a way to seperate the rods from the cables and clean the tubes?


This is first

Yeah, you can disconnect the tubes and pull them out, then clean and relube. Unless it's wound around a big jackplate and the turn is too severe, then you'll have to remove the motor to pull the cables out.

It is a pain in the butt, no doubt.

Well, I took both tubes apart, nothing there but grease, they slide in and out easily. cleaned anyway.
cables still tight inside housing. Guess I'll bite that bullet again.

Thanks for your input

If your going to do it, might just be worth while to go back with Hyraulic steering instead of cable again.

definately!

Go to www.surplusunlimited.com for replacement cables. HARD to beat their prices even with shipping costs involved. They are great to work with, even on exchanges.

I tried to lubricate mine. It did not work for me. I bought the cables (113.00 ea). and replaced them in an hour or so. You can grab and turn the motor with ease. Go git the cables and be done with it. It's not a hard fix.

good luck

there is a tool at some shops that can inject oil into the cable itself. works good sometimes. If the cables are too far gone you have to replace.

I ordered my cable from Wholesale Marine on Tuesday and received it on Thursday. Great price and great people to work with.
www.wholesalemarine.com
(877)388-2628

My first thought would be to get a pair of steering cables and be fine for another half dozen years (250).
Then, I love my hydraulic steering and its an easy self install and can usually be found for under 900 dollars. That is the premier version.

Last is the cheap method. Make yourself a cable luber...
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ing#Post4315556

and inject a cleaner inside the cables. I've heard that atf works good for this method. First check and make sure there are no holes in the cable sleeve or fluid will come out when you inject the fluid. Also try and get most of the fluid out of the cables with all the junk before you reinstall them.